webinars

For photographers and visual journalists across the globe

Welcome to The Essentials: free online classes created in collaboration with our partners Black Women Photographers and Photo Wings!

Each class is 75 minutes long, including lots of time for Q&A, and is for both emerging and experienced storytellers wanting to hone their skills and learn more about successfully navigating the visual media industry. 

Season Four of The Essentials is created in collaboration by:

Season 5: REGISTER NOW for Season 5 of The Essentials!

DAY ONE: OCT. 19

Creating a sustainable practice with Bethany Mollenkof

Bethany uncovers how to create a multidimensional practice that not only lends itself to creating dynamic work across different genres but also provides various income streams for a sustainable career. She’ll let us in on how to approach and secure clients, how to navigate client expectations and your creative vision, networking and how to position yourself for success in a variety of visual storytelling fields.

Bethany Mollenkof is a photographer and director whose work explores themes of motherhood, gender, identity, and representation. Her creative process is both documentary-style and experimental, influenced by her background in photojournalism and painting. This combination enables her to craft visuals that balance careful composition with authentic, natural storytelling.

Bethany works with leading brands like Apple, Nike, and Airbnb, and her editorial work appears in publications like The New York Times and National Geographic. A graduate of Western Kentucky University with a degree in Photojournalism and Art History, her work reflects a deep sense of purpose and human connection. Follow Bethany on Instagram at @fancybethany

Engaging with community through photography with Haruka Sakaguchi

Haruka discusses the many forms of a community-engaged practice as well as the magic that happens when people’s voices are intrinsically incorporated into the photography. Through a documentary lens and conceptual approach, Haruka showcases how to think creatively outside the box and how to successfully produce imaginative work. 

Haruka Sakaguchi is a Japanese documentary photographer based in New York City. She was born in Osaka, Japan, and immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was three months old. Haruka's documentary work focuses on cultural identity and intergenerational trauma. Her clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, Time Magazine, ProPublica, The New Yorker, Smithsonian Magazine, BBC News, Bloomberg Businessweek, NPR, Newsweek, and The Washington Post, among other publications. Follow Haruka on Instagram at @hsakag

Physical and digital safety guided by self-care with Corinne Chin

In this crash course on how to keep yourself safe both in the physical and virtual worlds, Corinne outlines the what, why, and how of this oft-overlooked yet crucial tool every storyteller should have in their kit. Sharing best practices, tips, tricks, and resources, Corinne provides a step-by-step guide on what you can do now to lessen vulnerabilities both out in the field and online, keeping your mental and emotional health centered in the process.

Corinne Chin is the director of news talent for recruitment at The Associated Press, working to build and mentor a competitive, diverse, and inclusive global newsroom. She is also a national Emmy Award-winning video journalist who draws from her experience reporting across the globe—from Mexico, Brazil, Kenya, and more—to offer trauma-informed safety and security training. Before joining the AP, Corinne was a senior video journalist at The Seattle Times where she started its diversity and inclusion task force, and a senior video producer for CNN's team covering gender inequality. Her work has been recognized by the National News and Documentary Emmys, National Edward R. Murrow Awards, Online News Association, National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism, Pictures of the Year International and more. Corinne is a graduate of Poynter’s Leadership Academies for Women and for Diversity, the Maynard 200, ASNE/NLA Emerging Leaders Institute, IWMF Next Gen Safety Trainers fellowship and Northwestern University’s Medill School (MSJ and BSJ). She is a co-director of AAJA Women and Non-Binary Voices and a past president of AAJA Seattle. Follow Corinne on Instagram @corinnechinstagram

DAY 2: OCT. 20

Creating, funding, and sustaining long-term documentary work with Etinosa Yvonne

From how to workshop ideas and get started, to applying for grant support and achieving long-term sustainability, Etinosa demystifies the often-daunting “long-term documentary project.” She’ll share best practices for putting your work out there through applications, social media, publications, and beyond. Etinosa walks us through all stages of a successful documentary project, unpacking the process from start to finish. 

Etinosa Yvonne is a self-taught documentary photographer and visual artist based in Nigeria. Utilizing various art forms, including photography and videography, her work explores themes related to culture, religion, tradition, the environment, the human condition, and social injustice. She has received grants from National Geographic Society, Art X, and Women Photograph as well as an award from National Geographic in partnership with Lagos Photo and the Royal Photographic Society for her project: “It’s All In My Head.” In 2023, Etinosa was one of eight artists selected for the inaugural Advocacy and the ARTS Fellowship, a collaboration between CARE International and the Rockefeller Foundation. Her work has been showcased in biennales, festivals, museums, galleries, and publications throughout the world. Etinosa is a contributor to @EverydayAfrica and a member of Black Women Photographers. Follow Etinosa on Instagram at @etinosa.yvonne

Exploring the Risks of AI with Tara Pixley

As generative-AI models make creating, publishing, and circulating synthetic imagery easier and easier, visual journalists need to understand what this tech is and how it works. This session provides an overview of what synthetic imagery is, how it's made, how it's being used, and what we can do to combat the circulation of visual misinformation as media makers invested in authentic representations of our world. Topics discussed include: deep fakes, generative-AI models and prompt practices, content provenance initiatives, current research on gen-AI, environmental impacts of gen-AI, and how to recognize synthetic images. 

Tara Pixley is a queer, Jamaican-American photojournalist whose work frames race, gender, climate futures, LGBTQ+ and immigrant communities through a solutions lens. Her clients include Apple, The North Face, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Newsweek, The Atlantic, HuffPost, ProPublica and ESPN, among many others. She is currently a Fulbright Specialist in Visual Media and previously a Reynolds Journalism Fellow; Pulitzer Center Grantee; IWMF NextGen Fellow; World Press Photo Solutions Visual Journalism Initiative grantee; and, a Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard. Tara is Vice President of the NPPA Board, a Board member of stock photo co-op Stocksy United, and Executive Director of Authority Collective—an organization by and for women of color visual storytellers, dedicated to establishing equity in visual media. She is a member of Black Women Photographers. Follow Tara on Instagram at @tlpix

Through a photo editor’s eyes with Danese Kenon

With extensive experience as a photographer and photo editor, Danese goes through the ins and outs of pursuing a career in photo editing and best practices for editing, sequencing, and captioning, along with what she looks for in a photographer when assigning. Whether you’re curious about transitioning from photographer to editor or want to know more about how to put your best foot forward in the field, Danese answers all your questions! 

Currently the Managing Editor of Visuals the Philadelphia Inquirer, Danese Kenon is a dynamic visual educator and coach with nearly two decades of photojournalism experience. She started her career as a photographer at The Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, NY, then earned a master’s in photography from the SI Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University. A Pulliam Fellowship took Kenon to The Indianapolis Star, where she was a photographer, multimedia journalist, and editor. She moved into management as Assistant Managing Editor/Visuals at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and later as the Deputy Director of Video/Multimedia at the Tampa Bay Times. Danese also teaches multimedia journalism, Photojournalism, and leadership at The Kalish, the Eddie Adams Workshop, and to NABJ student journalists. Follow her on X @danesekenon

Working together: editor and photographer perspectives with Andrea Wise and Stacy Kranitz 

Highlighting a year-long ProPublica project on the harrowing story of a woman denied an abortion in Tennessee, Andrea and Stacy will reveal insights into the process of working together as a team to produce compelling, ethical, truthful, and powerful storytelling. With their extensive careers in editing and documentary photography respectively, they’ll share how to successfully navigate the relationship between editor and photographer and incorporate these takeaways into your own practice. 

Stacy Kranitz was born in Kentucky and currently lives in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee. She is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow. Additional awards include the Michael P. Smith Fund for Documentary Photography (2017), a Southern Documentary Fund Research and Development grant (2020), and a Puffin Foundation grant (2022). She works as an assignment photographer for publications including TIME, ProPublica, The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic and Mother Jones. Her first monograph, As it Was Give(n) to Me, was published by Twin Palms in 2022. It was shortlisted for a Paris Photo - Aperture First Photobook Award. Follow Stacy on Instagram at @stacykranitz

Andrea Wise is an interdisciplinary visual editor and creative producer. She is the visual strategy editor at ProPublica where she visually edits investigations into abuses of power with an emphasis on documentary photography and editorial illustration. She is also the co-founder of Diversify Photo, a community-based organization committed to creating a more inclusive and equitable visual media industry.

As a photo editor, she has also worked with National Geographic, Newsweek, BuzzFeed News, the Intercept, among others. She has juried competitions for the Overseas Press Club, Getty Images, American Photography, and the Society of Professional Journalists. She earned her M.S. in Photography from Syracuse University and her B.A. in Studio Arts from Trinity College. She’s also an alum of the Eddie Adams Workshop, the Kalish Visual Editing Workshop, and the Mountain Workshops. Follow Andrea on Instagram at @andreawise_

Join The Essentials co-hosts Polly Irungu and Danielle Villasana for this dynamic weekend workshop—mark your calendars and register now! 

Polly Irungu (she/her) is a multimedia journalist and founder of Black Women Photographers, a global community, directory, and hub of more than 1,000 Black women and non-binary-identifying photographers. BWP has helped hundreds of photographers receive free education, training, software, portfolio reviews, and more. In 2021, BWP established an annual $50K grant fund in partnership with Nikon, as well as other grant initiatives with Getty Images and Flickr. Follow Polly on Instagram at @pollyirungu.

Danielle Villasana (she/her) is a photojournalist based in her hometown of Houston, Texas, focusing on human rights, gender, displacement, and health throughout the Americas. She’s the 2022 Alexia Grant Professional Winner, a National Geographic Explorer, Magnum Foundation awardee, Women Photograph grantee, IWMF fellow, and alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop. With a strong belief in photography paired with education and community, she’s on The Everyday Projects’ Community Team, is a co-founder of We, Women, is an Authority Collective board member, and is a Photo Bill of Rights co-author. She’s also a member of Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and Ayün Fotógrafas. Follow Danielle on Instagram @davillasana.

Watch class videos from previous classes in The Essentials:

Season 4:

SATURDAY:

“Breaking Into the Industry + Creating a Lasting Career” with Marie D. De Jesús

Drawing on experiences that range from being a photographer for some of the highest-circulating newspapers in the United States to leading a photo team at a nonprofit news organization, Marie D. De Jesús shares insights into her path as a photojournalist and how she was able to reach these achievements. Marie has covered tragic events such as natural disasters and mass shootings as well as uplifting stories that reflect the resilience of humanity—in this class she will impart what she learned along the way. 

Marie D. De Jesús (she/her) is the first Latina president of the National Press Photographers Association and director of photography for the Houston Landing. At the Landing, Marie's reporting has focused on the families of incarcerated people and how missteps in local county jails have impacted them. She was previously a staff photojournalist for the Houston Chronicle, where she focused on developing relationships with Houston's diverse immigrant and marginalized communities. Prior to the Chronicle, Marie worked for the Democrat and Chronicle, located in Rochester, New York, and the Victoria Advocate, in Texas. Marie was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in the team category of Public Service and is a winner of the staff award for Public Service Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Follow Marie on Instagram at @mariedennise.

“Tackling Editing—from Assignments to Projects” with Saiyna Bashir

Drawing on her assignment work for The New York Times and projects with National Geographic, Saiyna Bashir shares how she tackles one of the hardest parts of visual journalism: editing down your work to build a cohesive, comprehensive, poetic story. Through personal examples, she’ll delve into her process and share advice on how to get all the details right: from sequencing images to writing captions. While Saiyna goes over the challenges of editing your own work, she also shares tips on how to overcome those challenges and put your best images forward. 

Saiyna Bashir (she/her) is a Pakistani photojournalist and National Geographic Society grantee currently based in Islamabad. She works on international assignments for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, and others. She also serves as a consultant photographer to Unicef, UNHCR, WHO, IMF, WFP, and other international NGOs. She has extensive training and workshop experience, has been on the selection committee of World Press Photo’s 6x6 initiative, and was a 2018 TEDx Speaker. She’s a contributor to @EverydayPakistan, Women Photograph, and Diversify Photo and is an alumna of The Eddie Adams Workshop. Follow Saiyna on Instagram at @saiynabashirphoto.

“Thinking Outside the Editorial Box” with Lynsey Weatherspoon

In this class, Lynsey Weatherspoon reveals how to diversify your income stream as an editorial photographer through commercial and corporate gigs. With clients such as MGM, Warner Brothers, GoDaddy, and WebMD, Lynsey discusses how to find and get clients, how to negotiate rates and usage, and how to build a comprehensive portfolio showcasing various genres. Through her success as an editorial photographer and beyond, Lynsey's class inspires you to stretch your limits and horizons.   

Lynsey Weatherspoon (she/her) is a portrait and editorial photographer based in both Atlanta and Birmingham. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Time, ESPN, and  The Undefeated. The fingerprint of heritage can be found on assignments and personal projects featuring Black Lives Matter, Gullah Geechee culture, unsung players in the Negro Baseball League, and the last of a dying breed–a shoe cobbler. Her work has been exhibited at The African American Museum in Philadelphia and Photoville NYC. She is an awardee of 2018 The Lit List. She’s a member of Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, Authority Collective, and Women Photograph. Follow Lynsey on Instagram at @lnweatherspoon.

SUNDAY:

“Beyond the Headlines” with María Magdalena Arréllaga

Photojournalist María Magdalena Arréllaga, whose work has been published in outlets such as The New York Times, Le Monde, and The Washington Post, discusses how to cover news through an ethical lens and to look for the moments beyond the headlines — even on fast-paced assignments. María will also touch on both logistical and visual preparedness, such as what you need before heading out on an assignment and how to think about translating the story's narrative into visuals. She’ll also highlight vital aspects of storytelling: consent and challenging misconceptions and stereotypes through your work.

María Magdalena Arréllaga (she/her) is an independent photojournalist and visual storyteller based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her work focuses on social, political, and environmental issues in Latin America, looking at human responses through an ethical and empathetic lens. Through her work María seeks to come closer to our relationship with memory, identity, and the natural world, particularly to how it is being altered by human pressures, deforestation, and climate change, and how this affects us. María is an International Women's Media Foundation grantee, a member of The Everyday Projects, Women Photograph, Diversify Photo, and Brazilian collective Agência Farpa. She’s a regular contributor to outlets including The New York Times, Bloomberg, and Le Monde. Follow María on Instagram at @mariamagdarre.

“Juggling Photography and Parenthood” with Zakiyyah Woods

If you’re a visual storyteller as well as a caretaker or are considering having children, this class is for you! Zakiyyah Woods divulges all her knowledge on how to navigate busy schedules, childcare, and the rollercoaster that comes with being both a parent AND a successful photographer. She’ll touch on what has worked for her, such as how to handle last-minute assignments, and how parenting has changed her perspective and priorities as an artist. 

Zakiyyah Woods (she/her) is a freelance photojournalist and street photographer and FAA-certified drone pilot based in her hometown of Brooklyn, NY. Her work focuses on the accurate representation of communities that have historically been at the center of parachute journalism. Zakiyyah graduated from Benedict College, an HBCU, with a B.A. in Mass Communications and will receive her Master’s degree in Engagement Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism in December 2023. She was the first Summer ‘23 visual editor intern at WNYC/Gothamist and her work has also been published in The New York Times, Reuters, Business Insider, and Gothamist, among others. Zakiyyah is a member of Black Women Photographers, Diversify Photo, The Luupe, The National Association of Black Journalists, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Follow Zakiyyah on Instagram @lens.on.swivel.

“From Photography to Filmmaking” with Janet Jarman

Photojournalist Janet Jarman explains how she has successfully incorporated documentary filmmaking into her repertoire to create impactful, far-reaching work. She’ll share her process of approaching long-term documentary work in terms of her vision, planning, support, and execution. With years of experience in both the photojournalism and filmmaking worlds, Janet shows how it’s possible to work within both genres. 

Janet Jarman works as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker with a focus on immigration, public health challenges, water resource problems and solutions, and human rights. Janet’s work has been published in The New York Times, GEO, National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, Der Spiegel, 6Mois, The Wall Street Journal, and others. Her photographs have been featured at Visa Pour l’Image and have received awards in Pictures of the Year International, American Photography, PDN Photography Annual, POY Latam, Latin American Fotografia, Communication Arts, and the Best of Photojournalism. In addition to editorial assignments, Janet has produced various long-term photo and multimedia projects. Her most recent project, “Birth Wars,” includes a feature-length documentary film and a forthcoming book supported by The MacArthur Foundation. Follow Janet on Instagram @janetjarman.

“Working with and in Community” with Maheder Haileselassie

Photographer Maheder Haileselassie showcases how to incorporate the concept of community in your work and within the industry. In highlighting her project “Between Yesterday and Tomorrow,” Maheder reveals how to reflect on the history and identity of a community as a way to process present day realities. Beyond her own personal work, she’ll discuss her role in community-building within the visual media industry of Ethiopia and how she fosters growth and connection for a better tomorrow.  

Maheder Haileselassie (she/her) is an Ethiopian photographer and visual artist born and based in Addis Ababa. Her works are inspired by the history, memory, and experiences of her own life and of the people she engages with everyday. She is one of this year’s Contemporary African Photography winners and has been shortlisted for the Grand Prix Images Vevey award and PhMuesum grant. Maheder’s work has been exhibited at numerous venues, museums, and festivals around the world, and she’s attended the World Press Photo Masterclass and The New York Times Portfolio review. She has collaborated with institutions such as the Frobenius Institute, The University of Cambridge, The Ethiopian Institute of Architecture, and the Goethe Institut on projects that look at the intersection of photography, history, anthropology, and architecture. She’s also the founder of the Center for Photography in Ethiopia, a learning platform for emerging photographers, and is a member of @EverydayAfrica. Follow Maheder on Instagram @maheder_haileselassie.

SEASON 3:

English, French, and Spanish subtitles available on the videos!

“So You Got an Assignment, Now What: The Photographer’s Perspective” with Annie Flanagan

You’ve put in all the work to pitch, make connections with editors, and you’ve landed a commission. Now what? A prolific photographer with ample assignment experience, Annie Flanagan will share their know-how on what to do in preparation for the assignment (both logistically and photographically), how to communicate with editors, and stay safe in the field. They’ll also talk about the crucial side of assignment work that’s not brought to light enough: rates, budgeting, expenses, and contracts. And, Annie will give tips on how to maintain relationships with editors even after the assignment is over.

Annie Flanagan is a photographer based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Their photographs are rooted in the documentary tradition, frequently exploring themes of gender, memory, and people’s relationship to place. Their select clients include The New York Times, National Geographic, The Guardian, ESPN, and The Players’ Tribune. Annie holds a Master of Science from Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Follow Annie on Instagram at @annieflanagan.

“Do No Harm: Ethics” with Cheriss May

In this session, prominent photographer and adjunct professor at Howard University Cheriss May explores one of the most—if not the most—important aspects of making honest and compelling work: ethics. She’ll teach about the many layers of consent, avoiding stereotypical or sensationalistic approaches, establishing trust with people you photograph, and how to control the use of your images and how to have those conversations with editors. Cheriss will also showcase examples of social impact through photography and walking the line between activism and photojournalism. 

Cheriss May is a lauded portrait photographer and adjunct professor at her alma mater, Howard University. Her passion radiates through her aptitude to connect to the soul of those she photographs. Cheriss’s work centers on the intersectionality of race, culture, and politics—from the White House to Capitol Hill, and everyday life in communities across the country. She is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and has been published in O Magazine, The White House website, People, ABC News, The Today Show, among other publications. Her work is featured in the permanent collection of the African American Museum in Philadelphia, PA, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, NY. Originally from Kansas City, MO, Cheriss is based in Washington, D.C., and is a member of Black Women Photographers. Follow Cheriss on Instagram at @cherissmay.

Sunday, October 16, 2022

“Navigating the Industry” with M’hammed Kilito

While the various ins and outs of building a career in photojournalism can be overwhelming and bewildering, M’hammed Kilito, through his own experiences navigating the industry with grace and success, reveals how to get your work out there through applying to grants and contests, attending workshops and portfolio reviews, and reaching out to editors. He’ll also highlight creating community and a personal identity while supporting others in the industry.  

M’hammed Kilito is a freelance documentary photographer based in Rabat, Morocco. His work focuses on capturing narratives that help understand the relationship between groups or individuals and their environments by covering issues related to cultural identity, the sociology of work, and climate change. Currently, M’hammed is completing the two-year VII Mentor Program. His latest project “Before It’s Gone” has been shortlisted for the Leica Oscar Barnack Award and won the first prize at Kranj Photo Festival. M’hammed was also selected by Ateliers Medicis and the Centre national des arts plastiques (Cnap) to take part in the French National Photographic commission: “Regards du Grand Paris,” and was designated as North African Regional Coordinator for the 2022 World Press Photo Contest. In 2020, M’hammed was chosen by the British Journal of Photography as one of 18 emerging photographers from across the globe to watch, was the winner of the 6x6 Global Talent by World Press Photo, became a National Geographic Explorer, received The Photography Prize of the Fondation des Treilles, and won the CAP Prize. That same year, he co-founded KOZ, a collective of four Moroccan visual artists working on long-term projects and sharing a passion for storytelling. Follow M’hammed, also a member of @EverydayMiddleEast and @EverydayAfrica, on Instagram at @mhammed_kilito.

“Supporting your Long-term Vision” with James Rodríguez

11:15 AM - 12:30 PM EST

Accomplished photographer James Rodríguez will unpack the difficulties around sustaining long-term projects by illustrating how to create a unified vision, how to build and maintain relationships with communities, and how to seek various avenues of funding and support for the same project over time—whether through assignments, grants, or outside sources such as NGOs, commercial work, fixing, and video assignments. In this session, James will divulge his tips and tricks for achieving success with ongoing projects and how to create continuity and avoid burn-out.  

James Rodríguez is a Guatemala-based documentary photographer and filmmaker focusing on post-war processes, human rights abuses, migration, land tenure, and social conflicts in Mexico and Central America, but particularly in Guatemala, where his long-term project stems back to 2004. James, who holds a B.A. in Cultural Geography from UCLA, is represented by Panos Pictures and is a proud community member of The Everyday Projects, Diversify Photo, and Frontline Freelance Mexico. Currently working on a separate long-term project in the Yucatan peninsula funded by the Mexican National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONCA), James has worked for publications such as National Geographic, Le Monde, The LA Times, The New York Times, NPR, Vogue, and The Guardian, among others. James also collaborates regularly with NGOs, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, UNDP, CARE, Justice in Motion, Rotary International. Follow James, also a member of @EverydayLatinAmerica, on Instagram at @mimundo_org.

“Book-making Demystified: from Start to Finish” with Gabriella Angotti-Jones and Smita Sharma

Decorated photographers Gabriella Angotti-Jones and Smita Sharma, who’ve recently traversed the world of book-making, will demystify this process from start to finish. In this class, they’ll answer oft-asked questions, such as: When is the right time to make a book? How do you put together a book proposal? How do you find the right publisher, designer, editor, etc.? How do you fund and market a book? By setting long-term goals for your work, Gabriella and Smita reveal how this milestone in a photographer’s career is both possible and accessible. 

Gabriella Angotti-Jones is a documentary photographer based in Los Angeles, California. Gabriella uses her editorial background to inform her imagery, focusing on found light, intimate storytelling moments, and graphic compositions. Her documentary work focuses on the intersection of race, identity, and environmental justice. She was previously a staff photographer at the LA Times, and has worked at papers across the country, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Tampa Bay Times, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and The New York Times. Follow Gabriella, also a member of Black Women Photographers, on Instagram at @ga.briella.

Smita Sharma is a Delhi-based photojournalist who has documented gender issues, sexual crimes, and human trafficking in the Global South through long-form visual narratives. She is a TED fellow and an IWMF reporting fellow. Smita is committed to representing people with dignity, and her visceral images have been published in a range of outlets, including the New York Times, BBC World, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and National Geographic Magazine. Her work has also been exhibited and shown globally, including at the UN Headquarters in New York. She is the recipient of awards from Amnesty International, the Las Fotos Project, One World Media, and the Fetisov Journalism Award. Follow Smita, co-founder of @EverydaySoutheastAsia, on Instagram at @smitashrm.

“The Hustle is Real: Self-promotion and Side Gigs” with Josué Rivas and Tasneem Alsultan

While photojournalism can feel like a constant hustle, it can be an incredibly enriching career—and who better to teach this closing class than the dynamic, ever-evolving Josué Rivas and Tasneem Alsultan. Together they’ll tap into successful self-promotional practices in a constantly-changing social media landscape, diversifying your income by pursuing projects and work in addition to editorial clients, and how to stay forever motivated, inspired, and inspiring.

Josué Rivas is an Indigenous Futurist, creative director, visual storyteller, and educator working at the intersection of art, technology, journalism, and decolonization. His work aims to challenge the mainstream narrative about Indigenous peoples, co-create with the community, and serve as a vehicle for collective healing. He is a 2020 Catchlight Leadership Fellow, Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellow, founder of INDÍGENA, co-founder of Indigenous Photograph, and Curator at Indigenous TikTok. His work has appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times, Apple, Nike, and Converse, among others. Josué is a guest in the traditional village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, and Molalla tribes, all located in the area of Portland, OR. Follow Josué on Instagram at @josue_foto.

Tasneem Alsultan is a visual storyteller, investigative photographer, and global mentor whose work focuses on social issues in the Arab Gulf region and challenges stereotypical perceptions of the Middle East. She is a regular contributor to National Geographic, and The New York Times. Her passion for photography developed through photographing weddings and love tales, which she still does today. Her work has been published in numerous publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Martha Stewart weddings, and featured in more than 20 exhibitions worldwide. Tasneem became the first Arab female Global Ambassador for Canon in 2018. In 2019, she became a Catchlight Leadership Fellow, was voted the “Princess Noura University Award for Excellence” in the Arts Category, and received honorable mention for the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism. In 2020, she co-founded Ruwa Space, a platform to support visual creatives and offer education and consultation across the Middle East and North Africa. She’s a member of Rawiya women’s Middle Eastern photography collective. Follow Tasneem, also a member of @EverydayMiddleEast, on Instagram at @tasneemalsultan.

Join The Essentials co-hosts Danielle Villasana and Polly Irungu for this dynamic weekend workshop—mark your calendars now! 

Learn more about the co-hosts extraordinaire:

Polly Irungu is a multimedia journalist and founder of Black Women Photographers, a global community, directory, and hub of more than 1,000 Black women and non-binary-identifying photographers. BWP has helped hundreds of photographers receive free education, training, software, portfolio reviews, and more. In 2021, BWP established an annual $50K grant fund in partnership with Nikon, as well as other grant initiatives with Getty Images and Flickr. Follow Polly on Instagram at @pollyirungu.

Danielle Villasana is an independent photojournalist based in Istanbul whose documentary work focuses on human rights, gender, displacement, and health worldwide. Danielle is this year’s Alexia Grant Professional Winner and is also a National Geographic Explorer, Magnum Foundation awardee, a Women Photograph grantee, an IWMF fellow, and an alumna of the Eddie Adams Workshop. Her work has been included in solo and group exhibits and has been published in National Geographic, The New York Times, and the Washington Post, among others. Danielle strongly believes in pairing photography with education and community. She’s on The Everyday Projects’ Community Team, is a co-founder of We, Women, is an Authority Collective board member, and a Photo Bill of Rights co-author. She’s also a member of Women Photograph and Ayün Fotógrafas. Ultimately, Danielle strives to live and work by the words of her mentor, Donna De Cesare: “You are a human being first and a journalist second.” Follow Danielle on Instagram at @davillasana.

PAST ESSENTIALS WORKSHOPS

The Essentials Seasons 1-3 were made possible thanks to our partners:

OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2021

Season 2:

“Expanding Your Vision” with Yagazie Emezi

October 6

In this class, Yagazie Emezi will guide us through her personal projects and finding her own creative voice in photography. As she guides us through this aspect of her career, she will talk about the process of learning to trust her own vision, what others can learn from her journey, and how she then applies her personal style to assignment work. This class builds on Yagazie’s previous class in The Essentials, “Be Your Own Manager".

Yagazie Emezi is a Nigerian artist and self-taught photojournalist focused on stories surrounding African women and their health, sexuality, education and human rights. Having worked extensively across Africa, Yagazie also covers stories on identity and culture, social justice, climate change and migration.  Her art practice uses photography and sculpture to construct visual critiques of Nigeria's socio-political state and the roles media play in it, pulling from history and current events. You can follow her @yagazieemezi.

“Managing Risk, Safety, and Trauma as a Journalist” with Alison Baskerville and Tara Pixley

October 13

This session discusses key elements of risk assessment, safety and security planning, and the management of bio/psycho/social impacts in the work of journalists, understanding those experiences and the realities of the job through an intersectional lens. By recognizing how identity, environmental, organizational, and operational variables impact our health and safety for every assignment, we are better prepared to enter any space or experience. 

Tara Pixley (she/her) is a visual journalist and educator with 20 years of experience as a freelance photographer and photo editor for news organizations such as the New York Times, Newsweek, CNN, Wall Street Journal, ProPublica, and many others. She is currently an IWMF NextGen Fellow in journalist safety and risk assessment and a professor of journalism at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Tara was a Knight Visiting Fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation of Journalism, an inaugural awardee of the World Press Photo Solutions Visual Journalism Initiative, and holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of California San Diego. You can follow her @tlpix.

Ali Baskerville (she/her) is a documentary photographer and a media safety trainer and advisor with a focus on freelancers. A former-soldier-turned-photographer, Alison is able to blend her military experience with her career as a conflict photographer to translate into realistic safety training for the media community. As a photographer she uses her experience to comment on, document and question the military experience that aims to make work reflecting on important contemporary issues such as social inequality, military occupation, gender identity and safety as well as the long-term consequences of emotional trauma through conflict. You can follow her @ali_baskerville.

This session is sponsored by the ACOS Alliance. Learn more about the organization here.

“Demystifying Digital Security: Practical Guidance for Journalists” with Ela Stapley

October 20

From surveillance to identity theft, journalists face a range of digital security threats as they go about their work. Knowing what steps to take to better protect themselves and their sources is more and more important. From secure communications to protecting online data, this session will teach journalists practical tips that they can use to increase their security. If you have doubts about WhatsApp security or have ever wondered if it is safe to store your passwords in your browser, then this session is for you!

Ela Stapley is a digital safety expert and trainer working with journalists around the world to help them be safer both when online and when using technology. She is part of the Emergencies team at the Committee to Protect Journalists where she supports journalists on a wide range of issues ranging from device security to online harassment. Ela also leads the online harassment initiative at the International Women's Media Foundation where she works with journalists and other organisations to find solutions to violence online. Ela is a former freelance journalist and holds an MA in International Journalism from Cardiff University, UK.

This session is sponsored by the ACOS Alliance. Learn more about the organization here.

“Building Your Career” with Sarahbeth Maney and Sarah Waiswa

October 27

Careers in photography have no roadmap, and a common question is, how do I get started? How do I make my first contacts in the industry, get my first assignment, work on my first projects? Photographers Sarahbeth Maney and Sarah Waiswa will use their own passion projects and reporting projects to walk you through the start of their careers and highlight some of their most important learnings along the way. Coming from different points of their career and different backgrounds, Sarabeth and Sarah will showcase what they were able to do with limited support and discuss what it was truly like to get their careers off the ground. 

Sarahbeth Maney is a 2021-22 photography fellow at The New York Times' Washington bureau. Her personal work focuses on topics related to housing insecurity, disability, and inequalities that disproportionately impact Black and brown communities. Most recently, she has documented immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the California wildfire season. In addition, she filmed a short documentary following Ahmet Ustunel, the first blind person to kayak independently from Asia to Europe using navigational prototype technology. Maney graduated from San Francisco State University in 2019 with a degree in photojournalism and has interned at the San Francisco Chronicle and The Flint Journal in Michigan. She is a recipient of the inaugural Pulitzer Center and Diversify Photo Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant in 2020. Her photography has been published by TIME, Vanity Fair, Apple, The Washington Post, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among others. Maney is a member of Diversify Photo, the National Association of Black Journalists, Authority Collective, and Black Women Photographers. You can follow her @sbmaneyphoto.

Sarah Waiswa is Ugandan-born, Kenya-based documentary and portrait photographer with an interest in exploring the New African Identity on the continent. With degrees in sociology and psychology, Sarah’s work explores social issues in Africa in a contemporary and non-traditional way. In 2015, she was awarded first place in the story and creative categories in the Uganda Press Photo Awards and second place in the Daily Life and portrait categories. In 2016 she was awarded the Discovery Award in Arles, France and in 2017 she was awarded the Gerald Kraak Award in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2018, she was named a Canon Brand Ambassador and was selected for the World Press Photo 6x6 Africa Program. She is a Pulitzer Center Rainforest Journalism Fund grantee. Her work has been exhibited around the world, most recently at the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia. Her work is currently on display at the Bristol Photo Festival 2021 in collaboration with the Bristol Archives. Her photographs have been published in the Washington Post, Bloomberg, the New York Times, among other publications, and she has worked with brands such as Christian Dior and Chloe. Earlier this year, she founded African Women in Photography, a non profit organization dedicated to elevating and celebrating the work of women and non binary photographers from Africa. She is a contributing photographer to Everyday Africa. You can follow her @lafrohemien.

“So You Got An Assignment – Now What? Working with Photo Editors” with Jehan Jillani and Olivier Laurent

November 3

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When on an assignment, knowing what an editor expects of you can be challenging, especially early on in your career. Photo editors Olivier Laurent (The Washington Post) and Jehan Jillani (The Atlantic) will take a practical approach to explaining the barebones of how to make photojournalism a sustainable career, and will delve into strategies on how to work with photo editors, how to make sure your voice is heard, and how to turn in photos with the proper information.

Jehan Jillani is a Visuals Editor at The Atlantic where she commissions photography and illustrations for the publication’s digital features and special projects. She was previously the lead Picture and Visuals editor at the Guardian US. Jehan has also worked as a photo editor at National Geographic and The New Yorker. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Publication Designers and American Photography, and she has spoken about photography at numerous educational institutions. Jehan is a graduate of Smith College and is based in Brooklyn, NY. You can follow her @jehanjillani.

Olivier Laurent is a foreign photo editor at The Washington Post, with a specific focus on Africa, Asia and the Middle-East. He also edits the Climate & Environment section, assigning photographers to cover the climate emergency. In 2019, he was part of the climate team that won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for a series that "showed with scientific clarity the dire effects of extreme temperatures on the planet." In 2018, he coordinated the newspaper's visual coverage of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, working with Lorenzo Tugnoli, a contract photographer with the Post. The photo essay won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography. You can follow him @olivierclaurent.

may - june 2021

Season 1

Thank you to The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Facebook Journalism Project for supporting this series through a Community Network Grant.

Building a Narrative with Kiana Hayeri

May 5

Kiana Hayeri is known for her visual storytelling that is intimate, personal, and lyrical. In this class, she will discuss how to build a narrative from start to finish, including how to pitch a story to an editor and how to break down a story while photographing on assignment.

Kiana Hayeri is an Iranian-Canadian photographer based in Kabul, Afghanistan. She is a Senior TED fellow and a regular contributor to The New York Times. In 2020, she received the Tim Hetherington Visionary award and was named as the 6th recipient of James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting. In 2021, Kiana received the Robert Capa Gold Medal for her photographic series “Where Prison is Kind of a Freedom,” documenting the lives of Afghan women in Herat Prison. You can follow her @kianahayeri.

Anatomy of a Story with Andrea Wise

May 12

In this session, Andrea Wise will deconstruct a couple of published stories to demystify how stories come to be from the editor’s perspective. She will talk about story origination, including assignment work and stories pitched by photographers, getting ideas and budgets approved, creative planning/art direction, working visually in harmony with text, selecting and sequencing images, and laying out stories for publication. You will learn more about what visual editors do, how to get on their radar, how best to work with them on assignment, and how to maximize the chances of getting your pitches picked up.

Andrea Wise is co-founder of Diversify Photo and a visuals editor at ProPublica where she ideates and commissions photography, illustration, and other forms of visual journalism. She was previously a contract photo editor on the history & culture desk at National Geographic. She has also worked with Newsweek, BuzzFeed News, The Intercept, Open Society Foundations, among others. Her work has been recognized by The Telly Awards, The National Press Photographers Association, College Photographer of the Year, and The Student Academy Awards. Andrea earned her M.S. in Photography from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and her B.A. with Honors in Studio Arts from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and is an alum of the Eddie Adams, Kalish, and Mountain Workshops. You can follow her @andreawise_.

Honing Your Skills with Nicky Woo

May 19

Nicky Quamina-Woo has a career as both a commercial and documentary photographer. In this class, she will touch on the basics of portraiture lighting, marketing your work, and tailoring your portfolio to fit the client. She will review the portfolio of 1-3 students for the class to learn from, as well as show examples of successful images, investigating why each works (or doesn’t) from a lighting perspective.

Nicky Quamina-Woo is a Black + Native Hawaiian photographer who divides her time between the African continent, South East Asia, and New York City. Her fascination with the tenacity of the human spirit deeply influences her approach to image-making, working on documentary imagery that explores human rights issues, health, culture and breaking news. Initially a commercial photographer, she became an art director & producer with brands such as Ralph Lauren, Ann Taylor and Target, before getting back behind the lens with a shift to journalism. Nicky is also a university professor at Parson’s School of Design in NYC, where she teaches lighting when not reporting internationally. Nicky is a winner of American Photography 37, a recipient of the Nikon-Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage grant in 2020, and an awardee of the Reuters Storytelling grant in 2018. Her clients include CNN, The Washington Post, Human Rights Watch, BuzzFeed, Apple, Reporters Beyond Borders, Reuters, The Guardian, and Vogue Italia magazine. You can follow her at @nickywoophoto.

Finding Support for Your Projects – Grant Writing with Danielle Villasana

May 27

Danielle Villasana will share tips on preparing grant applications for new or ongoing projects. She’ll cover the do’s and don'ts as well as various funding organizations within the visual media industry.

Danielle Villasana is a photojournalist based in Istanbul whose documentary work focuses on human rights, gender, displacement, and health around the world. She’s a National Geographic Explorer, Magnum Foundation awardee, and an International Women's Media Foundation fellow. Danielle strongly believes in pairing photography with education and community. She’s co-founder of We, Women, an Authority Collective board member, on The Everyday Projects’ Community Team, and a Photo Bill of Rights co-author. She’s also a member of Women Photograph and Ayün Fotógrafas. Ultimately, Danielle works by the words of Donna De Cesare: “You are a human being first and a journalist second.” You can follow her at @davillasana.

Be Your Own Manager – Finances and Self-Promotion with Yagazie Emezi

June 2

Yagazie Emezi will draw from her personal experiences of utilizing social media for self-promotion, managing finances as a freelancer, understanding contracts, and finding opportunities. She will speak to the challenges photographers regularly face, including setting a day rate and understanding usage and copyrights. Her session will be rooted in practical tools and strategies, and in understanding the overall value of one’s work. 

Yagazie Emezi is a Nigerian artist and self-taught photojournalist focused on stories surrounding African women and their health, sexuality, education and human rights. Having worked extensively across Africa, Yagazie also covers stories on identity and culture, social justice, climate change and migration.  Her art practice uses photography and sculpture to construct visual critiques of Nigeria's socio-political state and the roles media play in it, pulling from history and current events. You can follow her @yagazieemezi.

PAST Webinars

Advice from Funders on Reporting Grants for Photojournalists

The Everyday Projects webinar on how to apply for grants and fellowships with the Pulitzer Center, National Geographic Society, and the International Women’s Media Foundation on April 23, 2020. In this webinar, you will learn the details of each organization’s grants programs for visual journalists, see some of their most successful projects, and find out what it takes to put together a successful grant application.

Panelists:
Jin Ding, Program Manager, International Women’s Media Foundation
Marina Walker Guevara, Executive Editor, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
Dustin Renwick, Senior Program Officer, National Geographic Society
Moderator:
Danielle Villasana, Independent Photojournalist and Community Team member of The Everyday Projects

COVID-19 Safety Training for Visual Journalists

Online training and Q&A session for journalists working in the field with infectious disease physician and researcher Dr. Jenell Stewart, held on April 16, 2020. Dr. Stewart authored The Everyday Projects COVID-19 Guide for Visual Journalists. She provides a basic overview on COVID-19 transmission and safety tips for working in the field.

The Webinar includes discussion around:
-Understanding transmission
-What droplet and contaminated surfaces mean
-How to prevent transmission on contaminated surfaces
-How to prevent transmission via droplet (with mask info)
-Categorizing assignments as low risk, medium risk, or high risk and what supplies you need to safely complete those assignments.

Related link: www.lensrentals.com/blog/2020/03/how-to-disinfect-camera-equipment-and-spaces/

Co-hosted by CatchLight and Institute for Nonprofit News